What are some free texting apps for Android?

Most smartphone and tablet owners communicate regularly via text. But with cell phone carriers charging $20 to $30 per month for an unlimited text plan, keeping in touch with text messaging can get expensive. However, there are plenty of free texting apps designed for Android tablets and smartphones that allow text lovers to message for free without increasing their carrier rates.

HeyWire

Get a real U.S. phone number for free with HeyWire and start texting without the hassle of a monthly text plan. The HeyWire app allows users to send picture and text messages to any phone number in more than 45 countries. Unlike some other texting apps, HeyWire doesn’t require other users to have a HeyWire account. HeyWire also enjoys an excellent reputation as one of the highest-rated free texting apps available for Android-based tablets and smartphones.

Text Me!

Text Me! Supports free SMS messages to phone numbers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and 40 other countries. Share it with your friends and get free calls and free video chat through the app. Text Me! also allows users to earn free calling minutes by watching videos from advertisers. For added convenience, you can also send and receive large files and videos, send group texts and log in with Facebook.

textPlus

textPlus offers free SMS texting to any U.S. or Canadian phone number, as well as cheap international and local calls. Calling another textPlus user is always free. World travelers save big bucks on their calls and texts with free texting apps like textPlus. As long as you have a wireless, 3G or 4G connection to your smartphone or tablet, you can talk, text and share for free with your friends on textPlus.

Tango

Tango combines text messaging, voice calls, two-way radio, video chat and social networking into one convenient little Android app. More than 100 million users have tried Tango, and it carries an excellent rating from users thanks to its easy-to-use interface and excellent call quality. Free games, fun animations and filters, and Tango eCards that you can send to your friends and family set it apart from the rest of the free texting apps available.

Viber

Send texts, make voice and video calls and share photos with other Viber users around the world for free. Make sure this app is always on so you never miss a text or a call from a Viber friend, no matter where they are. Viber uses your own phone number as your login, which means you don’t need to get a whole new phone number to use their service. Viber gets added bonus points for keeping this texting app free of advertisements.

KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk provides more than just free texting. Group calls, chat rooms, free video calls, celebrity content updates and custom theme options are all part of this robust free texting app which is available in 12 languages. Additional features that set KakaoTalk apart include mobile games, voice filters, shareable multimedia content and adorable animated emoticons for a more engaging experience for users worldwide.

TextFree

TextFree is one of the simplest texting apps on the Android market. Without all the bells and whistles of some of the other free texting apps for Android, TextFree provides free text and picture messaging forever. Friends don’t need TextFree to receive text or picture messages and there’s no carrier or contract required for the app. If simplicity is what you’re after in a free texting app, TextFree may be the ideal choice.

Pinger for Android

Pinger delivers free text messaging and free calling to any phone in the U.S. and Canada, including landlines. Texting and inbound calls are always free and you can earn additional minutes for outbound calls. Even if you don’t have a calling plan or a carrier, Pinger allows you to send texts and make calls. Pinger is ad-supported, however, so expect to occasionally come across advertisements within the app.

Comm

Call and text for free with other Comm users, or share cute stickers and emoticons with friends for a unique messaging experience anywhere. Your profile integrates with your phone number, but allows you to keep it hidden from other users. There are also group chat features to facilitate easy communication among friends no matter where they are.

Depending on your contract and carrier, text messaging can be an unnecessary added expense on your monthly phone bill. Using one of these free texting apps with your Android device could save you big money in the long run.

Many of the free Android texting apps include additional features like free video chat, image and video sharing, stickers, emoticons, eCards and animations that can make keeping up with your friends and family around the world even more fun.